2006年VOA标准英语-Bush Puts Off Announcement Of New Iraq Strategy

By Paula Wolfson
Washington
12 December 2006

Vice1 President Tariq al-Hashemi in the Oval Office of the White House, 12 Dec 2006" hspace="2" src="/upimg/allimg/070512/0823170.jpg" width="210" vspace="2" border="0" />

President Bush, right, and Iraq's Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi in the Oval Office of the White House, 12 Dec 2006

President Bush has put off the announcement of changes in his Iraq policy until sometime in early 2007. VOA's Paula Wolfson reports from the White House, the president is continuing to seek input² from experts inside and outside the U.S. government.

The president had been expected to deliver a major speech before the end of December laying out a revised strategy for Iraq.

But now he has decided³ to give the review and recommendation process a bit more time, and has put off any announcements until 2007.

He is putting questions to and seeking advice from a broad range of sources including diplomats⁴, military commanders and former U.S officials. He is also consulting with Iraqi leaders, including the country's vice-president, Tariq al-Hashimi.

After their meeting Tuesday at the White House, Mr. Bush said they talked about steps the United States can take to help the Iraqi government succeed. The president did not go into specifics, and gave no clues to his thinking on possible changes in strategy. Instead, he spoke⁵ in general terms about his desire to end the bloodshed in Iraq.

He said Hashimi, the highest ranking Sunni Arab politician in that country, has lost loved ones to sectarian violence, yet remains⁶ committed to national unity⁷. "In spite of his grief, and in spite of the pain in his heart, he is willing to work for a united Iraq and a peaceful Iraq," he said.

President Bush said the vice-president spoke eloquently⁸ of the suffering Iraqi families have endured at the hands of extremists and killers⁹. He said America's objective is to support the vast majority of Iraqis who want peace. "And so Mr. Vice-President, my message to you today and the Iraqi people is we want to help your government be effective. We want to help your government live up to its words and ideals," he said.

Hashimi said the situation is difficult. But he stressed with good will and strong determination, Iraq can succeed. "There is a chance and I can assure you there is a great and real chance to get out of this present dilemma," he said.

Earlier in the day, President Bush conferred by teleconference with U.S. military commanders in Iraq and U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad.

The meeting took place behind closed doors and White House Spokesman Tony Snow refused to provide details to reporters. Snow indicated the president has already decided on the broad outline of his revised Iraq strategy, but feels he needs more time to work out the specifics. "He has got some very clear practical, tactical and other questions, and so certainly the process and consultations¹⁰ will continue and people will be working very hard between now and the time the president has formulated¹¹ the policy and is prepared to share his thoughts with the public and the world," he said.

Snow said the president wants the matter handled quickly but also wants it handled well.

1 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

2 input   

n.输入(物)；投入；vt.把(数据等)输入计算机

参考例句：

• I will forever be grateful for his considerable input.我将永远感激他的大量投入。
• All this information had to be input onto the computer.所有这些信息都必须输入计算机。

3 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

4 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

6 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

7 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

8 eloquently   

adv. 雄辩地(有口才地, 富于表情地)

参考例句：

• I was toasted by him most eloquently at the dinner. 进餐时他口若悬河地向我祝酒。
• The poet eloquently expresses the sense of lost innocence. 诗人动人地表达了失去天真的感觉。

9 killers   

凶手( killer的名词复数 )； 消灭…者； 致命物； 极难的事

参考例句：

• He remained steadfast in his determination to bring the killers to justice. 他要将杀人凶手绳之以法的决心一直没有动摇。
• They were professional killers who did in John. 杀死约翰的这些人是职业杀手。

10 consultations   

n.磋商（会议）( consultation的名词复数 )；商讨会；协商会；查找

参考例句：

• Consultations can be arranged at other times by appointment. 磋商可以通过预约安排在其他时间。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Consultations are under way. 正在进行磋商。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

11 formulated   

v.构想出( formulate的过去式和过去分词 )；规划；确切地阐述；用公式表示

参考例句：

• He claims that the writer never consciously formulated his own theoretical position. 他声称该作家从未有意识地阐明他自己的理论见解。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This idea can be formulated in two different ways. 这个意思可以有两种说法。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》